Two months ago, when the Portland Timbers were merely struggling to keep their heads above water, circumstances like these would certainly have been cause for concern, if not a downright kiss of death.
But on this Sunday night, as the heatwave beat down on Providence Park, the absences of star midfielder Evander and head coach Phil Neville — both of whom were suspended due to yellow card accumulation — were merely footnotes in one of the Timbers’ most explosive outings of the season.